Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Peru on freedom of the press and the role of investigative journalists in that country.

The British Ambassador in Peru raised Media Freedom with Foreign Minister Popolizio on 24 June, extending to him an invitation to the Global Conference on Media Freedom in London in July.

In his opening speech at the Conference, the former Foreign Secretary hailed the work of Investigative Journalist Gustavo Gorriti of IDL-Reporteros, noting that he "has brought to light a series of corruption scandals involving business, the government and the judiciary". Mr Gorriti sent a video message in support of the Conference, and his fellow investigative journalists Paola Ugaz and Pedro Salinas were able to attend at the British Government's invitation.

The United Kingdom is fully committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists. In 2019, the former Foreign Secretary announced our launch of the international campaign to end the climate of impunity and mobilise a consensus behind protection of journalists worldwide. We are currently considering how this campaign can best add value and reinforce existing mechanisms, including those of the UN and other international organisations. We have held discussions with Reporters Without Borders and are actively reviewing their proposal for a dedicated UN position on this issue.